Our Mission
Training the mind, opening the heart
The Mindfulness Center of Southern Utah exists to share the practice of mindfulness with our community. We envision a community motivated by compassion to wisely care for each other, fostering resilience, health, and character. While centered in Southern Utah, the borders of our community embrace all with whom we have contact. All are welcome to share in mindfulness.
To realize our vision, we are engaged in offering practical skills to train the mind and open the heart. MCSU is focused on training the mind and opening the heart to enhance the well-being of our community. The practical skills to accomplish this goal include increased self-awareness, improved attention and focus, enhanced emotional regulation, and better communication skills. We teach these skills through techniques like mindful breathing, focused awareness, body scans, and mindful walking.
Kirk A. Benson
President & Chairman
With Gael's support and direction, I've developed a keen interest in providing mindfulness programs in the community where we live. I've received training to teach mindfulness based stress reduction through Brown University and have completed the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program with Tara Barach and Jack Kornfield. But most importantly, I've developed a consistent personal practice.
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David Tate
Vice Chair
Dr. David Tate is a psychologist in St. George, Utah, where he has been in private practice for over 25 years. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Mindfulness Center of Southern Utah. From 1990-1995 Dr. Tate helped establish, taught Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) classes, and conducted research for the Stress Reduction Clinic at IHC Hospitals in Salt Lake City, Utah. The program was one of the first of now several hundred programs worldwide patterned after the University of Massachusetts Medical Center Stress Reduction Program developed by his mentor, Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, who said at the time that it was "the oldest, largest and best replication of our program." His doctoral dissertation at IHC was an early contribution to the now large body of thousands of research studies supporting the significant and substantial mental, emotional and physical health benefits usually realized by MBSR group participants. Dr. David Tate has taught mindfulness principles and practices to thousands of people over the past 35 years in a wide variety of settings, locally and nationally. He helped establish the first "mindfulness-based" health and wellness resort, Miraval, Life in Balance, in 1995 as the Lead Mindfulness Teacher and later as the Program Director. He has provided consultations and mindfulness trainings for many businesses and organizations including Nike, Ernst and Young, New Line Cinema, Abbott Laboratories, AT&T, the National Make-A-Wish Foundation, Zion National Park, and the NCAA.
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Alieta Gael Benson
Treasurer
I have been a practicing mother for 50 years. I've discovered the importance of paying attention to what I experience – my friends, family, and community. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to visit with the Dalai Lama at his home and temple compound in Dharamsala, India. Western scientists specializing in K-12 education presented to the Dalai Lama their research on the impact of mindfulness in education. The Dalai Lama provided feedback in dialogue with the scientists. I was very impressed with the benefits mindfulness can provide our children and have since been a firm supporter of making mindfulness widely accessible. Our efforts at the Mindfulness Center of Southern Utah is to that end.
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Harlan M. Hatfield
Secretary
Harlan was elected to the board of directors of the Mindfulness Center of Southern Utah in 2025 and also serves as Secretary to the organization. Professionally, Harlan M. Hatfield served as legal counsel and as an officer of a publicly traded corporation between 1996 and 2017. His activities included project development, intellectual property, licensing, acquisitions, divestitures, and financing. He oversaw the legal staff and outside legal counsel, litigation, regulatory issues, contracts and he advised the officers and board of directors of the business. Prior to his corporate law career, Harlan was in private practice at a Seattle law firm where he was a partner. In recent years, Harlan has served in various community and non-profit organizations. He and his wife served a full-time mission in Saint Louis, Missouri for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was a founding director of the My Hometown Community Resource Center in Provo, Utah, where life skill classes are provided for underserved members of the community. He continues to be active in the legal profession, such as helping a private community secure an agreement to dedicate its infrastructure to the local municipality. Harlan obtained a B.A. from Brigham Young University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Minnesota. He resides in Provo, Utah with his wife RaDene.
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Nina Barnes
Board Member
Nina is passionate about community, education, politics, underserved populations, and helping others reach their full potential. Her quest for community involvement began as the general coordinator for Park Discovery, a project that united 10,000 volunteers to make a dream park for kids a reality. This experience led to her service as a Cedar City Councilwoman, a Southern Utah University Board of Trustees member, the Utah State Board of Regents, Utah Women Run, and past Vice-President of the Utah Federation of Republican Women. She is currently engaged with the Policy Project, Envision Utah. She is a leader in Political and Civic Engagement within the Bolder Way Forward Initiative, where she promotes political representation and drives policy initiatives. Nina received her bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University and a master's in Public Administration from Southern Utah University, where she is also an adjunct professor. She owns and operates several businesses, is married to Keith Barnes, and has five children and a cherished granddaughter!
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Kirk A. Benson
President & Chairman
With Gael's support and direction, I've developed a keen interest in providing mindfulness programs in the community where we live. I've received training to teach mindfulness based stress reduction through Brown University and have completed the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program with Tara Barach and Jack Kornfield. But most importantly, I've developed a consistent personal practice.
Read More
Alieta Gael Benson
Treasurer
I have been a practicing mother for 50 years. I've discovered the importance of paying attention to what I experience – my friends, family, and community. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to visit with the Dalai Lama at his home and temple compound in Dharamsala, India. Western scientists specializing in K-12 education presented to the Dalai Lama their research on the impact of mindfulness in education. The Dalai Lama provided feedback in dialogue with the scientists. I was very impressed with the benefits mindfulness can provide our children and have since been a firm supporter of making mindfulness widely accessible. Our efforts at the Mindfulness Center of Southern Utah is to that end.
Read More
Harlan M. Hatfield
Secretary
Harlan was elected to the board of directors of the Mindfulness Center of Southern Utah in 2025 and also serves as Secretary to the organization. Professionally, Harlan M. Hatfield served as legal counsel and as an officer of a publicly traded corporation between 1996 and 2017. His activities included project development, intellectual property, licensing, acquisitions, divestitures, and financing. He oversaw the legal staff and outside legal counsel, litigation, regulatory issues, contracts and he advised the officers and board of directors of the business. Prior to his corporate law career, Harlan was in private practice at a Seattle law firm where he was a partner. In recent years, Harlan has served in various community and non-profit organizations. He and his wife served a full-time mission in Saint Louis, Missouri for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was a founding director of the My Hometown Community Resource Center in Provo, Utah, where life skill classes are provided for underserved members of the community. He continues to be active in the legal profession, such as helping a private community secure an agreement to dedicate its infrastructure to the local municipality. Harlan obtained a B.A. from Brigham Young University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Minnesota. He resides in Provo, Utah with his wife RaDene.
Read More
David Tate
Vice Chair
Dr. David Tate is a psychologist in St. George, Utah, where he has been in private practice for over 25 years. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Mindfulness Center of Southern Utah. From 1990-1995 Dr. Tate helped establish, taught Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) classes, and conducted research for the Stress Reduction Clinic at IHC Hospitals in Salt Lake City, Utah. The program was one of the first of now several hundred programs worldwide patterned after the University of Massachusetts Medical Center Stress Reduction Program developed by his mentor, Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, who said at the time that it was "the oldest, largest and best replication of our program." His doctoral dissertation at IHC was an early contribution to the now large body of thousands of research studies supporting the significant and substantial mental, emotional and physical health benefits usually realized by MBSR group participants. Dr. David Tate has taught mindfulness principles and practices to thousands of people over the past 35 years in a wide variety of settings, locally and nationally. He helped establish the first "mindfulness-based" health and wellness resort, Miraval, Life in Balance, in 1995 as the Lead Mindfulness Teacher and later as the Program Director. He has provided consultations and mindfulness trainings for many businesses and organizations including Nike, Ernst and Young, New Line Cinema, Abbott Laboratories, AT&T, the National Make-A-Wish Foundation, Zion National Park, and the NCAA.
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Dr. Ginamarie Foglia
Board Member
Dr. Ginamarie Foglia, DO, MPH, FACP has over 30 years of healthcare experience as an internationally known subject matter expert in infectious disease, internal medicine, public health, clinical trial research & development, medical education and wellness. She is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease. Dr. Foglia most recently served as a Senior Advisor, Subject Matter Expert & Strategist for Vaccines/Biologics, Shabas Solutions, supporting the U.S. Health & Human Services (HHS), Biomedical Advanced Research & Development Authority (BARDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in infectious disease and public health countermeasures. She also is an Adjunct Professor at Rocky Vista University College of Medicine in southern UT, where she teaches Principles of Clinical Medicine, Simulation Medicine & Surgery and mentors medical and graduate students in pursuing careers in biotechnology, industry, academia, and public service. As part of her passion and expertise in overall wellness and resilience, she is a certified Personal Trainer focusing on the over 50-year-old and cancer survivor populations. Per her love of the outdoors and functional fitness, she is an Adventure Guide and Wellness Consultant at Red Mountain Resort, Ivins, UT. Dr. Foglia is also a Veteran of the US Army Medical Corps attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. She enjoys volunteering at the Southern Utah Veterans Home with her corgi, Willie, and also as an advisor to the Kayenta Center for the Arts in Ivins, UT.
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